One side only AAR, DnO lojishen vs. German Opponent, no looking opponent!

[lojishen]

As it is now T5, it is appropriate to start posting pictres of the Odessa Front. For the most part, I abandoned any position west of the Dnestr River, blowing what bridges I could, and withdrawing the buld of the troops. The JF (Odvo) front command chocked (i.e. went into reorganization) on T4, which cost me a fair amount of that commands valuable artillery. Other than that, the withdrawal went well. the 9th army HQ is only on loan for now, as it will be needed to man the main line of resistence along the Ingul River. Once the going gets hot, the 9th army will withdraw, taking as many divisions as it can with it. Front formations are as follows ...

[lojishen]

Northern Front T6:

The German forces advance up to the Soviet blocking forces, give them a good drubbing, but don't advance much farther. One of the reason I like the 'secret' type AAR's is you can give your opponent advice without feeling it will hurt you this game. In this case, I've noticed that my opponent focuses a bit to much on encircling and eliminating the front forces, and not enough energy on advancing beyond them. It is a subtle thing, but in the end it results in the lost of 40 or 50 km worth of advance each week or so, and this tends to add up. As of now, I try to keep units in front of him as their is a decent chance he will concentrate on destroying that 'ant' unit at the expense of driving forward. DnO is essentially a race against time. The Soviet combat power is growing faster than the Germans, both as a function of the game events (shock) and replacements. While the Germans have the edge, they need to maximize the amoun of their forces in contact with the enemy. Not that the placement of blocking forces is easy. To close and they are overwhelmed in the early combat rounds. To far, and they are sacrificed for little or no purpose. I still make lots of mistakes with blocking forces: sometimes placing them to close where they are overwhelmed in the first round, or too far where they are overwhelmed at the point of maximum enemy advance.

Anyway, the Germans close about a 1/3 or 1/2 of the distance to Pskov/Dno and I use the time to build up the forces there. Not pictured is a thin line of troops (Baltic defense forces) defending the Narva river.

[lojishen]

Western Front Turn 6

The Western Front is similar to the Northern Front. The Germans move up to the blocking forces on the Berezina River, annihilate some of them, but don't move much farther. With the Soviet rail capacity at around 11,000 since T4, the Soviets have the capability ro raile some 22 divisions to the front each turn. While not always using all rail capacity, the Soviets use almost all of it each turn, at least on average. Each turn the Germans aren't pounding forward means they are looking at another 15+ divisions on the front lines to face. Not pictured here are strong forces east of Velikiyi Luke (22 Army), and the beginnings of the 30th, 29th, and 34th armies running from Vitebsk to east of Velikiye Luki. All told there is some 10 divisions in those three armies, preparing to prevent any outflanking of the line you'll see in the upcoming picture ...

[lojishen]

Southern Front T6:

The theme continues in the South. The Germans approach the Stalin Line in extraordinary strength, and will certainly crush it the following turn. However, as they were only 40 to 50 km shy of the Stalin Line the previous turn, holding the Germans at that line must be deemed at least a moral victory. However, it must be noted that the Germans advanced much farther in the northern area, some 60 or 70km. The movement of the 17 and 16 Mech corp from south of the Dnestr to the southern portion of the Stalin Line was a key part in this smal victory. More importantly, it gave the heroes of the 12 army HQ time to escape. Though dangerously exposed for days on end, finally the gallant sacrifice of the 17 and 16 Mech corp give the 12 army HQ some breathing room. They are not safe yet, but they are closer than they have ever been. In the top right of the picture, you can see the beginnings of the Kiev defense plan which I'll descibe in the near future.

[lojishen]

Odessa Front T6:

Here there is little change. The Germans and Rumanians essentially move up to the Dnestr River. While there are small bridgheads over the Dnestr to the north of Odessa they mostly pose a danger to the withdrawing 17 and 16 Mech Corp, and the 12 HQ, most of which have already been given up for dead. The formation assignments is essentially the same.

As stated previously, the first phase of DnO is slowing down the Germans while picking the best line for the main line of resistence. If that main line is too far forward (or the delaying actions go poorly) then the line will be broken at a time when there are few reserves available. That could mean disaster for the Russians. Choose a line too close to the major obectives, and the Germans will have ample time to crush it, especially if the delaying actions go poorly. Personally, I think a main line at the Orsha Gap / Dnepr River is a a bold one. However, in this game, while I've sacrificed amost the entire border force, I think it may have bough me the time to form a stong defensive line farther forward than historically feasible. Because, historically, the Germans chose a line just west of Smolensk, and that cost them dearly.

[Monkeys Brain]

Great AAR lojishen! Keep it up!

The writing styles and screenshots are superb - FiTE AAR's could use that style as well...

FiTE as being most popular hehe...

BTW do you think that it is wise to hold on Odessa on Dnestr, that doesn't work in FiTE - better soultion to reinforce Dnepr line and leave strong garrison around Odessa... but I think that Dno is easier to Soviets (much more troops) but could be wrong? (never played DnO)

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the minimap moves movie from turns 1 thru 5:

[lojishen]

M. Brain,

I think you may be right about, particularly when considering Odessa. Particularly, leaving the 2 Cav behind wasn't something I wanted to do. The 2 Cav is a Force Support formation, and the Soviets don't have many of those. They are very handy in shoring up weak defensive lines, and even more handy as an extra counter-attack force because they can cooperate with the local Internal Support troops.

I wasn't just thinking of Odessa when I put the forces there. It is a pretty straight line from S. Rumania to SE Ukraine. As you can see from the minimap movie that Larry provided, I have nothing in SE Ukraine, and that is a big area to cover. For now, I can more cheaply delay that thrust at the Dnestr. In hind sight, I'm not sure it was worth it. You'll have to let me know what you think when I get the next few turns posted.

Larry,

Thanks much for the minimap movie. It really does add a great perspective. I love the turn counter in the top as well.

[lojishen]

This game is getting interesting, so I need to catch this AAR up to the present. I may need some advice, though I fear that by the time I get caught up, it will all be over ...



Northern Area, T7:

When we last left the Northern Front, the Germans had brushed aside the weak blocking forces. Not much has changed. The Germans advance another 50-90km (5 to 9 hexes), but are still short of my next defensive line.

I've prepared a line along the Narva, from Pskov to Lake Il'men', and then south from Lake Il'men' past a point that is east of Velikiye Luki. Those forces south of Lake Il'men' will be taken over by the Northwestern Front. The line from Pskov to Lake Il'men' is anotehr I'm not sure about. There is some really great defensive terrain there, but the last time I manned it, it cost me the bulk of the forces guarding it. At the time, I felt it was worth it as it did slow the German down quite a bit, allowing a better and stronger line to be formed along the Luga river.

In the NE of the picture you can see the 48th and 52nd armies just starting to form.

[lojishen]

Leningrad Area T7:

Of course, the Finns are in the war as well, so I'll give an occassional update on that front. I made the decision to hold a line more than two hexes away from Leningrad. There is really no good reason to do this. In DnO, the Finns are forbidden to attack a hex that is within two hexes of a Leningrad urban hex or the supply point on the east coast of Lake Ladoga. There is a chance that this restriciton will be lifted, and at the time I was thinking it was turn 10. It isn't until turn 20, and the chance lasts for a period of ten turns. So, in the future, I'll do the smart thing and send the 23 Army straight to within two hexes of Leningrad. I got most of the army off the front lines as they activated one turn before the Russians, and by using my HQ's and some small regiments, I gently disengaged the vast bulk of the army to the south. I though I could hold the current line for a while. However, that wasn't the case as the Finns penetrated the main river line at two points on the very first turn of trying. Alas, I am now in danger of losing the 23rd army if I'm not careful.

Further East, the 7th army holds out in Karelia. I sent the bulk of the forces to the Svier river. There is real danger here as the Finns can advance some 10 hexes beyond the Svir, making them a threat to hook up with the Germans down the line. However, again, I got the bulk of the 7th army away, and should be able to hold this front. Two KarF mobile regiments come in as reinforcements at Petrozavodsk (hex 118-18) on turns 8 and 12. I thought I would see if I hold onto that arrival hex which explains the forces there. I'm spending 5 regiments to secure the arrival of 2 so not a great exchange. However, it is forcing the Finns to send sizable forces against them rather than south against the Svir or north against the KarF forces. it

[lojishen]

Western Front T7:

Like the Northern Front, the Western Front has little excitement. The Germans move towards the main line, and I move up reserves. Front layout is the same as the last picture, other than the arrival of the small and weak 28th army in the Orsha area. This is a small army made up of DNO (i.e. Militia) divisions. With proficiencies in the 30% area they don't last long. I dig them in a few hexes behind the front, in the woods north of the main road, and hope they force the Germans to spend at least a turn digging them out.

[lojishen]

Kiev Front, formally Southern Front a T7:

The Southern Front has been split into two, with the Kiev Front taking Kiev south to about Kremenchug, and the Southern Front taking over from there.

Little to report as the Germans continue to mach through the now mostly empty SW Ukraine. The 12th army looks like it will make good its escape! I've completed the defensive plan for Kiev which I'll detail when the German troops get there. It involves an outter ring of 4 Corp, and an inner ring of the 9 Mech and the 16th Army. The inner ring are force level support units so they will be able to surge to the front and assist with counter-attacks.

[lojishen]

Odessa & Southern Fronts T7:

No advance by the Germans across the Dnestr River, so that line holds for at least two turns now. You can just start to see the beggings of the Ingul River line starting to form. Four armies there (from north to south: 6th, 12th, 18th, and 9th) with a few independent corp thrown in. My recon must not be very good as I can see nothing in southern Rumania. This will turn out to hurt me in the near future ...

[lojishen]

Northern and Northwestern Fronts T8:

Germans arrive at the Pskov front, but no big battles yet. I examined the line a little more and relized I wasn't making full use of the terrain. There were several flooded marsh hexes which are impassable. I incorporated them into my line, and it freed up enough forces that I will now be able to send the 21 Mech back to the main line where it will backstop the 48 Army, another unit mostly made up of weak DNO (militia) units.

The 23 Army north of Leningrad gets walloped pretty good, but I manage to extricate all of the divisions at this point. Though not quite back to with two squares of Leningrad, I should make it without losing large chuncs of this army. They will definitely need some extensive refit time though. The 7th army sees little action.

[lojishen]

Western Theatre T8:

The Western Front gets an updgrade to Theatre, and has four Fronts. The Velizh Front defends north of the Orsha gap, with nothing to report. It consists of the 30th and 29th armies. The Orsha front with the 13th, 20th, and 32nd armies defends the Orsha gap. There is only minor skirmishing on this front as the German forces arrive. The Bryansk front which holds the Dnepr south of the Orsha, and whose line of retreat goes through Bryansk if it comes to that. This front has the 33rd, 28th, and 24th armies, with the 7 Mech corp and remnants from other units. Again, no action on this front this turn. Finally, there is the Gomel front whose job is to protect the backside of Kiev from a Guderian type thrust from the German's AGC. It holds the 21st and 3rd armies along with the 30 Corp and the 23 Mech Corp. There is nothing going on here either, but as I haven't posted this shot, I'll put it here ...

[lojishen]

Southern Theatre T8:

Nothing happening in the Kiev or the Southern Fronts. German advance units are still 40-70 Km's from Kiev and no where near the Southern Front. Makes for boring reporting, but when you are the Soviet player in DnO, you love boring reporting!! From my perspecive, the most boring AAR in history would be perfect.

However, despite all the boredom from the north to Kiev, this turn was unfortunately not all boring. Remember that picture of an empty southern Rumania from last turn. Well, it wasn't empty. In fact, it was full of all kinds of troops, and they managed to assault a weakly held line of the Dnestr River, and gain a significant bridgehead farily close to Odessa.

It seemed an unlikely spot to attack as there aren't any bridges in the area, and as I didn't see any enemy forces near by, I thought I could get away with holding the eastern bank with small regiments and construction units. This was a mistake. The Axis are across in strength, and I'll have to scramble to contain it. I withdraw the bulk of the 2 Mech and parts of the 9th army to positions east of the bridghead, and spread out the 5 Cav. I was going to withdraw the 5 Cav to the Ingul River this turn, but that is no more, and the 5 Cav will probably die in place. The 18 Mech holds its current position as it is mostly committed anyway, crushed any attempts of the Germans or Italians to get across the river this turn, and thus prevents a quick penetration by the 11th army to the Ingul River line.

This might be a good time to answer the question of why fight for Odessa at all, at least why so hard. In DnO, there is an event variable that grows as the Soviets lose key cities. If the event variable gets to 100, then bad things happen for the Soviet. Each of the key cities has a range of dates for it to fall: early, roughly on time, and late. If the city falls in the eary range then the event variable goes up quicker than if it falls later. For example, if Odess falls before turn 17 then the event variable climbs 12%. If it falls between turn 17 and 25, then it only goes up 8%. I try to keep the city from falling early, and unless it is vital to the overall war effort, I don't mind if it falls in the middle. Thus, the Odessa front has orders to hold Odessa until turn 17. The Kiev front has orders to hold Kiev until turn 19.

[lojishen]

Unfortunately, my opponent and I won't be completing this game.  I just wanted to say I appreciated the kind feedback.  I learned a lot doing this brief AAR, and will definitely do another one.  I have another game going now, but I'm not sure I want to try and catch up again.  If not, definitely the start of my next game.
 
Thanks,
 
lojishen

[cantona2]

Nice AAR, shame it finished


Your initial moves and deployments are ver similar to the initial moves in my AAR vs loveman1

cantona2